Here's my selection of events in Rochester this week:
Thursday, October 23

• Starting at 6 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre is a Wish You Were Here lecture with David Pace discussing West Africa Today.
  

  For nearly a decade, photographer David Pace has spent two months each year in Bereba, a remote village without electricity or running water in Burkina Faso. Photographing as a member of the community, Pace portrays the strength and dignity he sees in his friends and neighbors, capturing the beauty and complexity of a simple village.

  [source: Eastman House calendar, 2014-Oct-20]

• Tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Sticky Lips BBQ Juke Joint is good acoustic rock from Teressa Wilcox, and Declan Ryan. [source: Sticky Lips website, 2014-Oct-20]
• This evening at 6:30 p.m. is the Opening Night Film of the High Falls Film Festival (HFFF) at the Little: I Know a Woman Like That (Elaine Madsen, U.S. 2014, 54 min.) followed by a Question-and-Answer with director Elaine Madsen.
  

  One of the most joyous films you'll see, I Know a Woman Like That focuses on women whose motto is "I don't know what being old means. I'm just living my life." That means writing books, leading movements, running businesses, and refusing to confine themselves to traditional notions of "women's roles." Among the glorious seniors, director Elaine Madsen and her daughter, acclaimed actress Virginia Madsen (Sideways), talk with are author Maxine Hong Kingston, activist Gloria Steinem, and actress Lauren Hutton, as well as an 88 year-old mayor, and a 95 year-old champion water skier. A must-see for anyone planning to live past 30.

  [source: Little Theatre website, 2014-Oct-20]

• Tonight at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Art Gallery is an Infinity Boxes Tour with artist Matt Elson. [source: MAG website, 2014-Oct-20]
• Starting at 7 p.m. at the Flying Squirrel is an Indymedia 101—an Introduction to the Rochester Independent Media Center (IMC). [source: Flying Squirrel website, 2014-Oct-20]
• From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Henrietta Public Library is a discussion of Early Banking in Western New York: Our Documentary Heritage.
  

  Learn about the history of banking in western New York! This program details the history of early banking in western New York through a wide variety of documents commonly found in coin collections, archives, and museums. Banking appeared in western New York as soon as it was opened for settlement, but its practices were largely unregulated. Learn how improvements to banking developed and the role of the Thompson family whose summer home is now known as Sonnenberg Gardens.

  [source: Monroe County Library website, 2014-Oct-20]

• Starting around 7 p.m. starting at Solera Wine Bar is Night of the Living Wedge Halloween Pub Crawl 2014. [source: Facebook, 2014-Oct-20]
• The Dryden will screen Kindheit (Childhood, Siegfried Kühn, East Germany 1987, 87 min., German w/ subtitles, 35mm) tonight at 8 p.m. followed by a discussion with the director Siegfried Kühn and Prof. Reinhild Steingröver.
  

  Based on Kühn's childhood experiences in Silesia near the end of World War II, Childhood views a dark period in our history through the eyes of a nine-year-old boy. Alfons (Marc Poser) has been sent to the rural home of his grandparents while his mother remains in Berlin. Kühn's retelling of his wartime memories, especially those with his grandmother, raise the question of what is a real memory and what is a child's distorted fantasy.

  [source: Dryden website, 2014-Oct-20]

• Starting around 9 p.m. at Skylark is 23 Psaegz. [source: Skylark Lounge calendar, 2014-Oct-20]
• Over at the Bug Jar starting around 9 p.m. is The Naturalists, Wisdom Kids, and Diry Pennies. [source: Bug Jar calendar, 2014-Oct-20]

Friday, October 24

• Tonight at Writers and Books from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. is a Teen Open Mic Night. [source: Writers and Books website, 2014-Oct-20]
• Tonight and tomorrow from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. starting at the Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word (597 East Ave.) is the Landmark Society's annual Ghost Walk. [source: Landmark Society website, 2014-Oct-20]
• From 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. tonight and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Gandhi Institute is a War Tax Resistance Workshop with Ruth Benn, and Ed Hedemann from the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC). [source: Gandhi Inistitute website, 2014-Oct-20]
• From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight at the Flying Squirrel is We are all Attica: Narratives from inside/outside the walls.
  

  This inspiring panel will feature readings of Attica prison writers courageously exposing the brutality and violence inside the nations most notorious prison. In addition the panel will include clips from Teresa Millers documentary on life inside Attica, as well as stories from family members, volunteers and activists connected with the prison. There will be a dynamic discussion on where we go from here regarding shutting it down.

  [source: Flying Squirrel website, 2014-Oct-20]

• At the MAG from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. is the Fine Craft Show Opening Party. [source: MAG website, 2014-Oct-20]
• From 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. tonight, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, and 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m tomorrow at St. Joseph's Park (108 Franklin St.) is The Spectral Carnival. [source: Facebook, 2014-Oct-20]

Saturday, October 25

• Today from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Kate Gleason Auditorium of the Bausch and Lomb Library Building is a discussion of NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month with Jennifer Blanchard.
  

  November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and writers nation-wide are taking on the annual challenge to write a 50,000 novel in 30 days. On November 1st, participants from all over the country begin working towards the goal of writing a novel by November 30th. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel, and is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing.

  [source: Monroe County Library website, 2014-Oct-20]

• Today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Record Archive is an American Red Cross Blood Drive. [source: Record Archive e-mail, 2014-Oct-14]
• From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Flying Squirrel is a Pumpkin Painting Party with Ali.
  

  Kids in the community (parents welcome) are invited to the first annual Pumpkin Painting Party at The Flying Squirrel Community Space. The event is from 3pm to 5pm on Saturday October 25. All materials will be provided, and cider and donuts will be served. Hope to see you there!

  [source: Flying Squirrel website, 2014-Oct-20]

• From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Writers and Books is the Big Pencil Awards to "honor those individuals who have made significant contributions to the Rochester literary community." [source: Writers and Books website, 2014-Oct-20]
• At the Squirrel from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. is Liberty Screams: Reflections in Poetry and Prose on Mass Incarceration and Parole Reform featuring works by Jalil Muntaqim, and presentations by Paulette Swartzfager, Pat Schwartz, Jean Douthwright, Emily Good, and Michael Argaman. [source: Flying Squirrel website, 2014-Oct-20]
• Starting at 7 p.m. on the NextStage at Geva is The Authors Voice with Wendy MacLeod, and Jenni Werner.
  

  Join playwright Wendy MacLeod (Women in Jeopardy!) in a conversation about her work. In conversation with Geva's Literary Director Jenni Werner, Wendy will share stories about her work and inspirations, as well as read excerpts from three of her plays, including a scene from the play which Geva will premiere in February, 2015. Join us for an evening of art and laughter! The conversation will be followed by an informal reception.

  [source: Geva Theatre ticket website, 2014-Oct-20]

• Tonight at 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m., and 12 a.m., the UofR Cinema Group will screen the solid drama A Most Wanted Man (Anton Corbijn, U.K. / U.S. / German 2014, 122 min.) in Hoyt Auditorium on the University of Rochester Campus "A Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caught in the international war on terror." [source: University of Rochester Cinema Group website, 2014-Oct-20]
• At Boulder Coffee on Alexander starting around 8 p.m. is a Halloween Comedy Extravaganza with Madelein Smith, and Woody Battaglia. [source: Boulder Coffee calendar, 2014-Oct-20]
• At Skylark starting around 8:30 p.m. is Brawloween II with Rochester's Broads Regional Arm Wrestling League (BRAWL).
  

  Rochester BRAWL will host their second annual Brawloween event at Skylark Lounge, located at 40 South Union St. The event will start at 8pm and will benefit Daystar, an organization that provides pediatric respite services for children. Eight female identified wrestlers will face off against each other for the title of Brawloween champ.

  [source: Facebook, 2014-Oct-20]

• Starting around 10:30 p.m. at the Bug Jar is Halloween: a Ween Tribute Show with a great stage show and excellent surf-based rock from The Isotopes. [source: Bug Jar calendar, 2014-Oct-20]

Sunday, October 26

• The Dryden will screen Le salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear, Henri-Georges Clouzot, France/Italy 1953, 148 min., French w/ subtitles, 35mm) today at 2 p.m.
  

  A group of exiles living in a poor, underdeveloped section of Venezuela is offered only one prospect for escaping the torpor and tensions of their lives: transporting a ton of highly explosive nitroglycerine over treacherous terrain. The four disparate men chosen to drive the explosive-laden trucks must face their task with knowledge that, according to the values of the American oil company that hired them, their lives are worth nothing. The Wages of Fear is an indictment of capitalist imperialism in the context of a gripping suspense film.

  [source: Dryden website, 2014-Oct-20]

• From 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Squirrel is a discussion of Refugees and Immigrants: Challenges in the U.S.A. with Africans Organization United (AOU).
  

  A life of an immigrant in America, especially that of a refugee, can be very challenging during his/her first few months of their stay in the new home. Almost always, refugees and immigrants come to America in search of a new life, a life free from turmoil and hardships. Many of them have gone through untold sufferings in their motherland, ranging from war trauma, poverty, persecution and rape. Upon arrival to the new home, they expect that their struggles have been left behind in their native countries. But as soon as they arrive, they realize that there is a new set of challenges waiting for them, such as securing a job, finding a place to live, buying food, and enrolling their children in school.

  [source: Flying Squirrel website, 2014-Oct-20]

• At 8 p.m. at the Bop Shop is Ravi Padmanabha's My Nada Brahma.
  

  Nada Brahma is the belief that the universe was created from the energy of sound. My Nada Brahma's music is a reflection of Ravi's love of Indian folk and Jazz music. The combination of tabla, harmonium, violin and electric guitar creates the unique sound of the group. My Nada Brahma explores a variety of traditional music forms found in Indian classical and folk music.

  [source: Bop Shop website, 2014-Oct-20]

Monday, October 27

• This afternoon from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Rundel Auditorium on the 3rd Floor of the Rundel Library Building, Ralph Esposito will discuss Is the Library Haunted?—Oh wait, what? It's $20 to attend? Maybe an upcoming event could be "Shysters Haunt the Library". [source: Monroe County Library website, 2014-Oct-20]
• From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Writers and Books is a Standup Comedy Open Mike hosted by Dario Josef, and Carol Roberts. [source: Writers and Books website, 2014-Oct-20]

Tuesday, October 28

• Today from 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. is another Books Sandwiched-In at the Kate Gleason Auditorium of the Bausch and Lomb Library Building with Grace Fuller reviewing Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery. [source: Monroe County Library website, 2014-Oct-20]
• Updated: Today at 1:30 p.m. in the Rush Rhees Library on the University of Rochester Campus, astronaut Sam Gemar will "discuss his time at NASA, and the three space flight missions that he flew during the 1990s." He "will also present University of Rochester undergraduate William Green with a $10,000 scholarship". [source: City Newspaper events calendar, 2014-Oct-27]
• Enough is Enough (EIE) presents A People's History of the FBI film and discussion series at the Flying Squirrel at 7 p.m. with a screening of Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal (Stephen Vittoria, U.S. 2012, 120 min.)
  

  "Long Distance Revolutionary" focuses on Mumia Abu-Jamal's career as a prolific writer and journalist from the depths of prison. The film chronicles his life and work as a journalist, writer, and philosopher — a public intellectual who has spent thirty years in a Pennsylvania prison, twenty-nine of them in solitary confinement on death row. The film tracks Mumia's early work in journalism as a writer for the Black Panther newspaper (at age 15) through his promising and emerging career as a reporter for National Public Radio. After Mumia is convicted for the murder of Philadelphia patrolman Daniel Faulkner, the story then exposes Mumia's battles with the American judicial system (prisons and courts) to continue his journalism and radio broadcasts from behind bars—a battle he continues to wage to this very day. The film evolves into an exploration of his impact on social and political discourse both in the United States and around the world.

  [source: Flying Squirrel website, 2014-Oct-20]

• The Eastman Clarinet Choir performs in Eastman East Wing Hatch Recital Hall at the Eastman School of Music starting at 8 p.m. tonight. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar, 2014-Oct-20]
• The Dryden will screen The Bat (Roland West, U.S. 1926, 91 min., 35mm) tonight at 8 p.m.
  

  Based on a 1920 hit Broadway play, The Bat was the prototype of the "old, dark house" horror/mystery film. Thought to be a lost film, a sole surviving and extremely fragile print was discovered in Oregon in the 1980s and was the basis for this UCLA restoration. Visually influenced by German expressionism, this film features many wonderful sets, both life-size and miniature. Starring Jack Pickford (Mary's younger brother) and Louise Fazenda, The Bat, in typical 1920s fashion, offers up laughs with the thrills.

  [source: Dryden website, 2014-Oct-20]

Wednesday, October 29

• Updated: Today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Classified Shredding Services (425 Paul Rd., Chili), celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month with Community Shred Day. [source: Classified Shredding Services website, 2014-Oct-28]
• From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Basement Program Room of the Charlotte Branch Library, Maureen Whalen will discuss North Coast Ghosts: Ghosts of Northern Monroe County. [source: Monroe County Library website, 2014-Oct-20]
• The Dryden will screen Björk: Biophilia Live (Nick Fenton and Peter Strickland, U.K. 2014, 97 min., DCP) and When Björk Met Attenborough (Louise Hooper, U.K. 2013, 48 min., DCP) tonight at 8 p.m.
  

  First conceived as an album and an app, Björk's eighth studio recording becomes a concert film from the artist's live performance at the Alexandra Palace in London. A master class in avant-garde psychedelia for the twenty-first century, it earned a memorably wild review from British newspaper The Guardian: "There are not many artists who can combine the lifecycle of a jellyfish with a breakbeat and make it work. But this is an extraordinary piece, perhaps more of an opera, where Björk and drummer Manu Delago are at their virtuosic best. It's utterly bonkers yet moving—especially a strange love song set to a mutating virus. It should be mandatory viewing for anyone about to dam a glacial river to facilitate aluminum smelting." Followed by When Bjork Met Attenborough, Louise Hooper's candid documentary in which Björk and Sir David Attenborough discuss their mutual love of music and the natural world.

  [source: Dryden website, 2014-Oct-20]

• Starting around 9 p.m. at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is John Akers, and Erik Welsh. [source: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que website, 2014-Oct-20]